


Order of The Eclipse

by HarlequinFairy



Category: World of Warcraft
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Gen, Post-Burning Crusade, pre-Legion
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-07
Updated: 2016-10-21
Packaged: 2018-08-07 06:00:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7703260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HarlequinFairy/pseuds/HarlequinFairy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Shattered remains of an ancient order, lost to the world over 10,000 years ago returns to Azeroth.  One of their own has a special bond with Illidian Stormage and seeks to free him, and his kindred from the cruel grasps of the Wardens as the world sits on the brink of another War.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Infiltrating the Wardens was not a hard task, with the seemingly endless conflict the best of the warriors were always leaving the forsaken jail and going on to fight.  Slipping in as a junior Warden had been easy enough, and not standing out was something she was very good at.  She made sure to not be the best, and yet not the worst, not drawing the looks, good or bane, from her superiors.  

 

It was the Illdari who she had the hardest time around, she had a feeling they could, in a sense, see right through her.  She was after all, of magical origin, and their spectral sight probably made her stand out like a beacon to them, yet, none of them said a word, perhaps they also sensed she was an ally.  While her “fellow” Wardens sneered, and at times, were cruel to their prisoners, she had, discreetly, done what she could for them.  

 

One male had drawn the ire of a senior Warden, and had been lashed severely for it.  Of course being a junior, paltry tasks such as cleaning were given to her.  It wasn’t hard to slip a healing potion under the dirty mattress when other’s heads were turned, she couldn’t risk it being of any potency, but it would offer him some relief. 

 

It was hard to remain patient, being of such low standing in the order she was not permitted deeper into the Vault of the Wardens, deeper and closer to where she really wanted to be.  

 

Soon the whispers began, talks of war anew, of the return of the Burning Legion, and again many of the senior Wardens were sent away to other duties.  This left the not so junior Wardens to attend the vacated duties, including guarding the deeper areas of the Vault.  

 

Being stretched thin worked to her advantage, after studying the passages, learning where every nook and cranny was, every door and alcove, every foot path, she moved forward.  

 

Of course she knew which vault held her prize, the older wardens wanted to gloat about their “leader’s conquest”.  It took some work to slip past the wards that guarded the chamber, but magic was as natural as air to her.  

 

Her heart broke when she was finally inside the chamber, she had expected it, she knew what had happened, but it still hurt her to see his body laying there in such shape.  Magical bonds hung heavy on his limbs and around his neck, the runes glowing brightly in the dark room.  His head was hung low, his wings drooped, resting mostly on the ground as he looked completely broken on his knees. 

 

The one called the betrayer, Illidian Stormrage was nothing like the boy she had once known, she had known this coming here, she knew everything that had happened in the long millennia since their last meeting.   Despite all of it, it did not change the soft affection she had always held for him.  

 

“Don’t....stare...” His voice was hoarse, barely even audible.  

 

She couldn’t help a soft smirk, so even her best at being silent would not hide her from him.  She looked behind her, as if someone would walk in on them, even though she knew no one knew she was here.  She moved closer to him, slowly, relaxing her posture as she drew closer.

 

“You have grown much bigger since I last saw you my  _ shining star _ .” She let her voice take on it’s normal sound, not disguising it as she did around the Wardens, the nickname slipping off her lips, spoken in a dialect mostly forgotten.  

 

There was a grunt from the demon hunter, a snort perhaps.  “Have I fallen so far that my past now haunts my waking as well? Or are you a clever illusion to taunt me?” It seemed to take most of his energy to even speak.

 

“And who else living in this world, save for your brother, would know of me?” She let him work through it himself.

 

“You are dead.”

 

“I was assumed dead.”

 

“You never came back.”  A bit of bite returned to his voice.

 

“And for that I am sorry, but it was not of my choosing.”  She came now within arm's reach of him, kneeling down infront of him.  

 

He tried to lunge at her, but his chains held fast, rattling as he pulled at them.

 

“Why are you here?” His voice somewhere between anger and pain.

 

She hadn’t even flinched, instead she slipped off her gloves and reached up to cup his face.

 

“To set you free my darling  _ shining star _ .” 

 

The smell that wafted from her skin invoked deep forgotten memories in the Demon hunter, one soft simpler days, of the carefree and happy days of his early boyhood.  If he were capable of such, Illidan may have broken down at that moment and cried.  

 

“Thezmaya....”

 

He was taken back to those days, in his mind he could see her clearly, her eyes shining, her pale hair braided down her back, and that warm adoring smile, one that she seemed to only give him.  

 

_ “What happened you silly boy?”  Her infectious laughter as she washed dirt from his face.   _

_ “Don’t cry my little star.”  Being wrapped in her arms after he had fallen from a tree he and his brother had been playing in. _

 

_ “Don’t fuss Illidan.  I’ll be back in a few weeks.”  The last time he had seen her, the only time he had seen her dressed in armor, she had been called to the mainland on an urgent matter, and she never came back. _

 

He was brought back from his memories by soft lips pressing to his forehead between his horns.  He couldn’t remember the last time anyone had been gentle with him, affectionate even.  In his weakened state he almost yearned for it.  He wanted to be that small boy again, wrapped safely in his nursemaid’s arms.  

 

He wanted to follow her hands when they fell from his face, the rustling of fabric and the sound of a cork being removed from a flask.  He felt the cool glass against his lips, and a soft command of drink, and he did.  He wasn’t sure what it was, but it was sweet and cool as it flowed down his parched throat.  How long had it been since he had drank or ate anything?  Sustained on magic alone, a taunt from Maiev, keeping his body weak but alive.  He greedily devoured the fluid, almost forgetting to breath.  Whatever it was, magic was laced in it, he could feel it in his core, flowing through him, invigorating his worn body.  

 

When the vessel was drained and pulled from his hungry lips he growled.  “More.”  

 

“Shh. Not yet.”  She stowed the empty bottle before running her hands over the bonds, studying them.  This wasn’t going to be easy, the magic used to create the bonds was strong, very strong.  It was going to take some careful planning to break the bonds, and still have the energy to allow them to escape.  

 

“Your Aura....what is it?”  

 

She had been waiting for that question.  “It’s complicated, but I promise once we are free from here, I will explain it.  For now rest, while I make a plan.”  She leaned to place another soft kiss to his forehead before standing up.

 

“Don’t....don’t leave.”  A rush of panic set in, the boyish fear that she would never return again setting in.  

 

“Shh.  I won’t be far, and I will return as swiftly as I can.”  A thought came to her mind and she reached around her neck, kneeling down she pressed something into his hand.  “Do you remember this?  How you used to play with it as a child?”  

 

He could feel the outline in his palm, and knew it was the pendant she always wore around her neck, a strange symbol he had never understood, one he had never seen again in his life.  He nodded his head, knowing that she would not bestow it upon him lightly.  

“This time I will return to you, I swear it.”  She needed to go, before someone noticed her absence.    She redressed herself, her warden’s garb firmly in place before she slipped back passed the wards, no one the wiser to her visit with their most prized prisoner.

  
  



	2. Chapter 2

Planning, coordination, and sleath were the most important things to make her plan go off with as few problems as possible.   It took patience to not go to him, to sneak into the chamber and simply sit by him, comfort him, but if she were not careful someone could find out.  She focused instead on quietly making allies with the other prisoners, with the Ildari. It took every skill she had to be able to communicate with them without being discovered, without risking them being punished for being in possession of contraband.  

 

Her opportunity came a few weeks later when Maiv Shadowsong had to leave the Vault, being called to Darnassus on urgent business.  Her second in command was an arrogant, but young woman, one that wouldn’t be hard to get around. 

 

A sleeping agent slipped into the casks of the dinner wine  soon had the majority of the Wardens, and others who lived and worked in the Vaults too dazed or asleep to notice anything.  She made her way through the Vaults unlocking a few of the cells, these held no wards to alert the outside, and gave the keys to the Ildari for them to free their comrades, telling them to gather in the lower vault as soon as they could.  

 

She slipped in the warded Vault without raising the alarm, she needed time to prepare before the others arrived, and reinforcements from the local village along with them, no doubt an alarm would be raised soon. 

 

Illidian raised his head to her direction as she shed off the Warden’s Garments, her own armor beneath it.  

 

“Things are about to get a bit chaotic, but what is a jailbreak without some chaos.”   She never was one for doing things completely quiet.  

 

She went to work on the manacles binding him, pouring a solution over them to burn out the magic.  While it set in, she began to move around the chamber marking the ground with crystals, setting up another spell.  

 

The door burst open, the wards shattered and in poured a dozen of Illidian’s Demon Hunters.  Of course the moment they saw their master in chains a commotion rose up, and that wouldn’t do.  

 

“If everyone could please remain calm and gather in close, we will be departing shortly.”  Thezmaya didn’t know how much longer they would listen to her.  

 

“How?  Gaurds are pouring in the gates.”  A blood elf male sneered at her.

 

“Patience.  I did not execute this plan without great thought.” She moved back to Illidian who had one of the female night elves at his side.  

 

“What did you do?”  The young female asked.

 

“A little mixture I learned a long time ago.  Weakens metal and degrades magic.” With a jerk the bonds broke with little resistance, of course this roused Illidian, who even weakened snapped the remaining bonds.  

 

The sound of movement from outside the chamber drew everyone's attention, setting the demon hunters on edge.  

 

“Hunters to me.”  Illidian’s voice echoed in the chamber, he didn’t know exactly what Thezmaya had planned, but for now he had to put some trust in her.  

 

They did as their master bid, gathering in close, on edge as they watched the door.  Thezmaya stepped ahead of them and cast out her hands, beginning a long incantation. 

 

Illidian wasn’t even aware she even knew magic, let alone divine magic.  He didn’t recognize the spell, or know what the effects would be, but he could sense the tension in his Illdari as the first of the guards and Wardens spilled into the chamber.  

 

Before they first could reach them a divine light erupted around them, blinding everyone, even the Demon Hunters.  

 

When the light cleared they were no longer in the Vault of the Warden, the sound of crickets, and the smell of sea air surrounded them, and the gaurds and Wardens were nowhere to be found.  

 

“I thought I had agreed to one Demon Hunter, not a baker’s dozen.”  Chimed an unfamiliar male voice in a thick highborne accent.

 

“I wasn’t leaving them behind.” Thezmaya rebuttled.

 

“Always such a mother hen.”  The male bantered.

 

She snorted as she stood up, the spell having taken the wind out of her.  

 

“None the less.  Welcome everyone.  I am Keth’riel Silvershot, if my comrade has not introduced herself, this is Thezmaya Tempestrider.  Welcome to the Temple of the Eclipse.”  The highborne had dirty blonde hair, dressed in simple yet well tailored garments.  “Why don’t we get you all settled in and filled with a good meal. I do hope I made enough...”  

 

Instinctively the Demon Hunters turned to their master, taking cue from Illidian who was leaning heavily on two of the larger male hunters.  

 

“Go on. Regain your strength.”  Illidian tried to keep the strict tone in his voice, but his weariness peppered through.  

 

While the rest of them warily moved towards the highborne who had began to turn and walk away, Thezmaya approached Illidian and his aids.  

 

“Let’s get you inside so you can rest.”  She knew it had to be eating at him to depend on anyone else to be simply standing, to show weakness to his hunters.  

 

Once the others were out of sight Illidian began to try and walk, only a few steps and he stumbled going down to one knee, the two males aiding him not strong enough to catch him in time.  He snarled, furious at himself for being so weak, even if it was not his own fault in a sense.  His self-berating was interrupted by the smaller soft hand on his face and the smell of something spicy and most likely alcoholic.  

 

Thezmaya was knelt in front of him holding a metal flask, the cap unscrewed, and the strong smell wafted from it.  “This is going to kick like a flock of angry hippogriffs, but it should get you on your feet.”

 

He didn’t know if he liked the sound of that, but if it would give him some energy to not have to lean on his followers, so be it.  He pulled one arm from around the hunter and took the flask, he downed a large swallow and grimaced at the repulsive taste before Thezmaya took it back.  She hadn’t been kidding when she said it kicked, it hit his system like a wild fire, making his skin prickle, his mind cleared and soon he felt as if he could kill the entire Legion alone.  

 

He rose to his feet, standing tall, his wings extending out behind him wide, sending the two male Demon Hunters shuffling back.  

 

“You two go join the others, I’ll take care of him.  It is only a fleeting effect, he will be sound asleep within the hour.”  The two hesitated a moment before turning and leaving.  

 

She gave him another moment to flex his body while the euphoria ran its course before she reached for his hand.  “Come on champion, let’s get you inside before it wears off.”  

 

He let her take his hand, musing how it seemed so much smaller than he remembered, but then he was also much smaller back then, allowing her to lead him into a nearby building.  

 

She led him to a room, it was spartan, but large enough for him, it held a bed and dresser, a stand for armor and weapons, and little else.  The bed was actually quite large, not a small cot or mattress, and made from a sturdy wood that didn’t seem it would easily break.  

 

“Go and lie down.”  Her voice was soft, kind as it always was.

 

“I am not a child anymore Thezmaya.”  The brew had awakened his temper as well as his body, pent up frustration rising quickly to the surface.

 

She took a deep breath and sighed.  “I know that Illidian, at least please sit down.  That tonic won’t last long and I don’t want to try and pick you up off the floor.”  

 

“Not until you tell me where you have been, why you never came back.”  He bowed up at her, even though he was impressively larger than she as it was.

 

It didn’t phase her, she simply crossed her arms over her chest.  “Sit down and I will tell you anything you wish to know.”  

 

He growled at her.

 

“I don’t care how big you are, mighty Lord of Outland, growling at me is not going to get your way.  It never worked as a child and it won’t work now.”  

 

He knew she was giving him that look, that one that said she wasn’t impressed.  He eventually yielded, in a way he was happy she didn’t back down, that she wasn’t afraid of him.  He sat down on the bed, not a moment before he felt the heaviness start to return to his body.

 

She sat down beside him, taking one of his hands and laying it in her lap before she pulled a small jar from one of her belt pockets.  He knew the smell of the salve she always used the moment she opened the jar.  

 

“I’m not a child anymore.”

 

“As you have already stated.”  She began to rub the salve tenderly on his wrist where the chains had bitten into the skin.  “Your mother was the only person who knew what I really was, she knew the task I was undertaking was dangerous, but I was one of the few who could do it.”  She turned his hand over to rub the other side.  “The Order of the Eclipse, sometimes more commonly known as Moon Shadows, we act for the greater good, but many times our actions do not appear so righteous.  We undertake the tasks that many would never dream of.  Much like you and your Demon Hunters.”

 

“What happened?” The feeling of her hands on his skin, tenderly rubbing the raw flesh, the sound of her voice, even just the feeling of her close to him, it lulled him, but he fought back against sleep, wanting to hear what she had to say.

 

“Keth’riel met me on the mainland and we set out. We were investigating allegations of a Highborne noble committing vile acts, the thing was no one wished to speak against the man, for he held a very prominent position of power.  That’s why Keth’riel and I went, our job isn’t to be politically correct.  What we found was worse than we imagined, and when we confronted the noble he unleashed a powerful spell, but it backfired, and tore the fabric of reality asunder, casting Keth’riel and I into a rift.”  

 

She reached for his other hand, setting it also in her lap, massaging the salve into the bruised skin.  

 

“We drifted in and out of consciousness, not sure where or when we were, or how long we were there.  We looked continuously for a way out, until finally something ripped the reality open again and we managed to escape.  Much to our dismay 15,000 years had passed, and the world we were in was very much different from the one we left.”  She reached up to rub the salve on the heavy mark around his neck.  “I knew the first thing I wanted to do was find you.”  

 

He snorted, tipping his head so she could work, his mind becoming addled as sleep pulled at him.  “Not exactly what you expected to find.”

 

She smiled, “No, but once I had heard all I could, I knew I was proud of who you became.”

 

“You are the only one....”  He let his head fall forward when she began to rub the back of his neck, a rumble in his chest when she began to massage it.

 

She wouldn’t have objected to giving him a full rub down, granted it would be tricky considering his anatomy, but she sensed he was fading quickly.  

 

When she removed her hand he made a sound of protest as he lifted his head.  He heard her put the lid back on the jar before the bed shifted as she stood up.  He let her coax him to lie down, his will to fight with her gone, sleep taking over his mind and body.  

  
She pulled a sheet up over his lower body, not sure if he would protest his wings being covered.  She leaned down to kiss his cheek, his temple much harder to reach with the massive horns in the way.  “Sleep well my shining star.” 


	3. Chapter 3

He slept soundly, for the first time in recent memory Illidian slept soundly through the night, and he dreamed, not nightmares, or visions from Guldan’s memory, but blissful memories of his own.

 

The last dream wasn’t as nice, but it was still a good memory.  He remembered being sick, he was huddled under the blankets, coughing, he could heat his mother talking.

 

_ “I’ll take Malfurion with me to the temple.”   _

 

_ “I’ll stay with Illidian.”  Thezmaya’s soft warm voice spoke from a rocking chair beside his bed. _

 

_ He felt a hand touch him through the blanket, his mother’s, trying to soothe his coughing form.  “I love you Illidan dear, we will see you later this evening.  Try and rest.” _

 

_ He only gave her a pathetic sound before coughing again. _

 

_ Once his mother and brother had left he poked his head out from under the blanket.  Thezmaya was sitting silently beside him, sewing on a piece of clothing, most likely something of his he had torn.  Without words he climbed from his bed, taking the blanket with him and climbed up into her lap.   _

 

_ She only gave a soft chuckle, letting him get settled into her lap, head resting on her chest before she wrapped her arms around him and went back to her mending.  She was rocking slowly in the chair, and then she began to hum, a tune he had heard her sing a thousand times before, one of his favorites.   _

 

He didn’t know when he finally had fallen asleep, but when he woke up, he wasn’t a boy anymore, and he wasn’t dreaming.  It took his mind a moment to put together where he was, what had happened the day before.  At Least escaping the Vault hadn’t been a dream, which meant she wasn’t a dream.  

He sat up, his hooves tapping the wooden floor as he sat on the edge of the bed.  He felt mostly refreshed, while not at his peak he wasn’t weak and weary as he was the day prior, and he knew it would take more than a night’s rest to fully restore his strength.  

 

He made his way to the door, opening it he startled the demon hunter who had been sitting in a chair just outside.  The poor male hadn’t expected his master to be awake so soon and had he himself dozed off.  

 

It amused Illidian that his Ildari had been concerned enough for him to stand watch as he slept.  

 

“Where is everyone else?”  He asked the younger male.

 

The demon hunter straightened.  “Most are still sleeping master.  Lord Silvershot, and Lady Tempestrider left a short time ago.  The lady said they would be in the temple if we needed anything.”  

 

“I see.”  Illidan responded and moved into the wall, and down to the exit. 

 

It wouldn’t be hard to find the temple, it would be different than the others, and radiate divine energy.  He had seen enough Temples of Elune in his time it wouldn’t be hard to spot another one.  

 

He turned a corner and snorted, it was also the building with 4 other demon hunters crowded around the entrance.  He mused they must be watching the ritual going on inside, and as he drew closer he heard the sound of singing.  

 

Two voices, one he knew belonged to Thezmaya, the other must belong to the Highborne.  They blended well in Illidian’s opinion, but he would always prefer Thezmaya’s.  He was now outside the temple doors along with his Ildari.   

 

The song came to an end and Keth’riel spoke without turning from the alter.  “The temple is open, you are all welcome to come in.”  

 

The Ildari hesitated, but Illidian made the first move, stepping cautiously into the sanctum, as if Elune might strike him down for entering her sacred temple.  

 

“Bless us Elune with your wisdom, that our hearts remain true and our blade righteous, even in the darkest of nights. Remind us that no matter the sacrifice, so long as we be true, that you will never forsake us.” Thezmaya hadn’t even flinched from the ritual, continuing on even as Keth’riel smiled at the Demon hunters.  

 

The two extended their arms out, before brining them, palms open to their chest.

 

“For we are your servants, to strike the darkness where others dare not tread.  To be true, and just, no sacrifice too great.”  The two spoke in perfect unison finishing the ritual.  

 

Keth’riel turned with a wide grin to the demon hunters as Thezmaya extinguished the candles.  

 

“Would anyone mind helping me with breakfast?  It is an awful lot of rolls to prepare alone.”  He was trying to be coy, it only earned an eyeroll from Thezmaya.

 

One of the blood elven female Ildari stepped up.  “I know how to bake.”  

 

“Splendid!  I don’t believe I caught your name last night.”  Keth’riel stepped up taking her hand and kissing it.

 

“Aewyn...” She was a bit taken aback by his gesture.

 

“Such a lovely name, I would be honored to have your assistance.”  

 

“Do remember she is helping you cook, not their for other things.”  Thezmaya sighed.

 

“I am offended at your insinuation that I would be anything less than a gentleman.”  The highborne turned back to his comrade.

 

“Oh I’m not worried about that, she can take care of herself.  I’m just reminding you that you have people waiting for food, and not to get sidetracked flirting.” Thezmaya stepped down from the alter, moving past Keth’riel without a second look.  

 

“So cruel to me.”  He said pouting, but then he turned to the young woman.  “Shall we go my lady?”  

 

The two departed, followed by a male, who seemed to have the intent of protecting the female.  

 

“He is harmless, but easily distracted.”  Thezmaya sighed once she was close to Illidian.  “I’m glad to see you up.”  

 

Illidian didn’t respond immediately, the remaining Ildari taking the silence as a cue to leave.

 

“Did you sleep well?” Thezmaya asked once the two had left, reaching up and pushing some of his hair away to see the bruise on his neck better.  

 

Illidian pulled away a bit, still not sure how he felt about her touching him so freely.  

 

She took the cue and folded her hands in front of her.  “I can show you the hot spring if you would like to wash up before breakfast.”

 

“Are you implying something?”  His voice held an edge of amusement.

 

“Besides that fact you are covered in dust, and the hot water would be good for sore muscles.”  She bantered back.  

 

“Be careful or I might think you just want to see me naked.”  

 

“Probably be better than the sights I have seen as of late.”  She turned and began to walk away.

 

He stopped, caught off guard a moment, not sure if she was taking another jab at her comrade or trying to flirt with him.  He moved to catch up with her, his longer strides making it an easy task.

 

They walked in silence across the stone pathways, and out into a wooded area away from the main buildings.  Trees and vines had grown up around the spring, forming a natural privacy wall.  

 

“Are you going to stand there and watch?” He mused.

 

“Are you being self conscious?”  She teased. 

 

It wasn’t his body so much he was conscious about, but his eyes, or the place they once were.  He didn’t know how she would react to the fire that was left there, even if she had not reacted negatively to his form yet.  

 

“I’ll turn around and won’t look.”  She didn’t know what he wanted to hide from her, but she wouldn’t pressure him.  

 

Once she had turned around he undressed, hesitating on the blindfold, but eventually removing it before moving into the water.  He moved till he found a flat stone near the center where he sat, the water covering most of his upper body.  

 

“Will you protest me joining you?”  She was still facing away from him.

 

“As you wish.... Just stay behind me.”  

 

She didn’t know what that was supposed to really mean, but she wasn’t going to press her luck.  She stripped, laying her clothes over a branch before joining him, moving up behind him.  

 

“I feel special, being allowed in your blind spot.”  Her hand came up to trace the spine of one of his wings, the appendage flinching under the soft touch.  

 

“My appearance doesn’t bother you at all?”  Illidan closed his eyes, as if it would hide the fire behind them.  

 

“No, because inside you are still Illidan, just bigger and stronger.”  

 

“I’m not that little boy you raised.”  

 

“No, you grew into an amazing and powerful man, just as I knew you always would.”  She cupped her hands, bringing them up to pour some of the heated water over his shoulders.  

 

“You don’t know what has happened....”

 

“I have heard enough.”

 

“Stories aren’t the same...” He was becoming defensive.

 

“Then tell me.”

 

“No.....I....”  What was he supposed to say?  His own brother hadn’t believed him, hadn’t understood.

 

“You made the hard choices, you did what no one else had the strength to do.  You became the enemy in order to save them.  The one who was betrayed was you.”  

 

He tipped his head back, eyes still closed.  How could she understand so simply?

 

“Ten thousand years, alone in pure darkness.”

 

She leaned down to kiss the crown of his head, her hands moving to his broad shoulders, tracing over them and then starting to massage at the tense muscles.  

 

“At least you don’t look like you got stuck changing between a bird and a stag.”  

 

He snorted, letting his head fall forward as she rubbed his shoulders.  

 

“So you have seen him.”  

 

“From a distance.  I had nothing to say to him, so he is unaware that I am alive.”  

 

“Why?  You always liked Malfurion.”  

 

“You were always my favorite, but I think you always knew that.”  She moved both hands to work a particularly big knot in one shoulder.  “Besides it would probably have only ended in a fight about you, and he probably would have gotten in my way.”  

 

He grunted at the discomfort but was also amused at the confirmation that she had always favored him over his brother.  

 

She went back to more broad strokes over his shoulders, moving down to his back in the area between the wings.  

 

“Is it your eyes you don’t want me to see?”

 

He didn’t answer.

 

“I won’t look at them if it bothers you.”  She worked around the base of each wing, her thumbs working the muscles around his shoulder blade, earning a short gasp from Illidan.  “You will have to let me work more on you later, I won’t be able to get them all at once.”  

 

A grunt was the only answer he gave, even with the discomfort he was enjoying her touch, the tension she melted away with practiced strokes of her hands.  

 

Silence fell between them as she continued to rub at his back, eventually moving back to his shoulders.  To have care and affection lavished upon him freely and willingly, Illidian almost didn’t know how to take it, in a way he expected something to happen, something that would shatter the illusion of love she was giving him. He wanted to believe she was true, she cared for him even despite all, but the harsh past made him want to find the underlying reality, what did she want from him?  They always wanted something.

 

“You can’t keep me here.”  

 

“This isn’t a prison Illidan, it’s a sanctuary.  You and your Ildari are free to come and go as you please.”  

 

“Hard to believe your elders would allow such.”

 

“Well your ideals fall in line with the orders, no sacrifice too great.  Furthermore, to the best of our knowledge, Keth’riel and I are the only remaining members of our order.”  

 

“How did you convince him?”

 

“It isn’t as if we have any allies left in this world.”

 

“You could have gone to Malfurion.”

 

“The mighty king of the Druids? What would he have done?  Lamented about lost years and gave me a warm home?  That isn’t who I am...”

 

“Who are you?  What is this order?  Why have you never spoken of it before?”

 

“Because you wouldn’t have understood....”

 

“Then  _ explain _ .”

 

Her hands fell away from his skin, as she took a deep breath, turning away from him.  

 

“Moon Shadows are the ones who do what needs to be done, we kill, we become the enemy to protect the greater good.”

 

“If you are so horrible why did my mother let you raise us?”

 

“Because she knew.  During the first war the commander your mother and I served under was an arrogant male who was selling the supplies meant for our men to further his own greed.  He kept telling us the supplies were stolen, when in reality it was a small handful of his own men ambushing the caravans.  Once I discovered this I did what had to be done.  It was a war, there is no room for politics.  I killed him, and made it look like a demon attack, but your mother came upon me during the deed.” She crossed her arms over her chest, a chill coming over her exposed body.  “Thankfully she believed me, she had long suspected something else was at play for the disappearance of our supplies.  It didn’t mean she agreed with my method, but she was one of the rare few who understood we were a necessary thing.  Ironically, the man they sent to replace him would one day become your father. ”

 

Illidan had stood up during her story and when she finished he moved behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders.  She leaned back against him, closing her eyes as not to be tempted to look up.  

 

“I have fought since I was a child, I was brought here when my parents were killed.  The only time I have ever found peace was in those too short years of raising you and your brother.  For the first time, I felt fulfilled doing something other than killing.”  A stray tear rolled down her face.  “You soothed a war torn heart, brought joy and laughter and a warmth I had never felt before.”

 

Illidan had never known what Thezmaya had done during the war, his mother only talked of them tending the wounded and protecting the camp.    The only woman he had known was the kind and gentle woman who raised him, and now he realized there was someone else beneath it.  The only time he had ever seen a glimpse of this warrior was once when he and his brother had been playing in the woods and an angry sabercat had started to chase them.  She had killed the beast, but as quickly as her battle skills had shown themselves, she had become soft again, taking them both into her arms to calm them, wiping away their frightened tears.  

 

“I know you have no reason to believe anything I tell you, and I don’t expect you to fully trust me, but know, boy, man, or demon hunter, Illidan, you are still precious to me, and I would do anything for you.”   


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Short Update: Not dead, getting back into the swing of things, except some details of Legion to seep into the story, but the story will remain canon-divergant-

Settling in, or what could best be described as such, for the Demon Hunters was not simple. Two had left a few days after their escape to seek if they had any Allies left in the Outland. One named Jace Darkweaver had set to trying to what he did best, tinker, studying the unusual magic that permeated the land around them. A few of the others, including one Kayn, Beleth, and Kor’vas argued what their next move should be.

The problem became that they did not have the Saergite Keystone, and did not know where it was kept. Tragically Thezmaya was of no aid in that dilemma as she had not heard of it, or its location. So they were stuck at in impass for the time being. 

Thezmaya had quickly picked up on the natural hierarchy of the demon hunters, or the ones that were present at least. She figured which were the upper ranks, those closest to Illidian. The two female, Kor’vas and a night elf called Teravan, treated her with quiet but open hostility, suspicious of her intetentions around Illidian. Beleth was civil though cautious, and Kayn had been reprimanded by Illidian for being rude.

“What are you doing?” Beleth asked curiously one afternoon, coming upon Thezmaya and Keth’riel building a pile of wood. 

“Preparing a bonfire.” She answered.

“Can I ask for what?” Beleth asked.

“The new moon starts tonight and it is a sacred night for us. We always celebrate the Huntress.” Thezmaya answered.

“Huntress?” She had Beleth’s attention.

“Perhaps we should tell all our little ducklings a story.” Keth’riel chuckled. 

Thezmaya nodded. “It would be a reverence to the Huntress.” 

“If you wouldn’t mind Beleth, could you tell everyone to meet us down here shortly?” Keth’riel asked.

Beleth shrugged and got up, wandering off to find his comrades.

It took about an hour to round up the ten demon hunters and Illidian. Illidian approached Thezamaya as Keth’riel started the blaze. 

“What is the meaning of this?” He asked curiously.

“It’s storytime. You always loved my stories.” She smiled warmly.

He raised a long eyebrow but turned and moved to the edge of the firepit, sitting down on one of the worn stone benches. 

Keth’riel, now happy with the start of the great fire, stepped up and smiled at the gathered crowd.   
“My comrade and I realized that we have failed to properly introduce you to the land you are on, and the culture that once permeated it. Once upon a time, this was the Moon Shadow Vale, a shady valley nestled between the base of a sheer cliff and a dense forest. Here, we were the worshippers of the entity known as the Great Huntress.” 

Thezmaya stepped up. “The great huntress is another embodiment of the Goddess Elune. It is said that on the night of the new moon the goddess transforms from the kind loving mother we known, into a darker person, known as the Huntress. She is not evil, no, she simply loses many of the wholesome and divine traits that we associate with Eluna. The Huntress purpose is to seek out the corrupt and the wicked and destroy them, by whatever means necessary. “

“That is where we come in. We are the Moon Shadows, the Order of the Eclipse. Collectively we are called a pack, for each of us upon completing our training is blessed by the Huntress with an animal totem as it were. Something that makes us unique, Thezmaya is the Nightingale, and I am the Sunrunner.”

“Tonight marks the starts of the new moon, a sacred time for us, but for us it is not a time for sitting in a temple and chanting. The Huntress is a woman of action, and our reverence to her shows that. The first night we sing and dance, we revel in the unity we have as a pack. Tonight, we invite you, all of you, to be our pack. We share a common drive, to wipe the world of corruption at any cost. Keth’riel and I have fought the Legion before, not the same way all of you have, we fought them in a time before any of you were born, we have seen the horror they bring, and we respect the sacrifice each of you has made to fight them. Dance with us, revel with us, for I swear to you, the Huntress smiles upon each of you.” Thezmaya finished, the sun setting low in the sky, the roar of the bonfire casting a glow behind her. 

Kor’vas was the first to stand. “FOR THE HUNTRESS!” 

It soon began to echo amongst the Illidari, even Illidian stood and smiled. This would be good for them all.


	5. Chapter 5

They had all danced till the dawn’s first light, someone had even found casks of wine in a storeroom (Thezmaya suspected it was Keth’riel) which only added to the lightened mood. Close to dawn Thezmaya had even coerced Illidan to dance, after the entire night of excuses about hooves not being made for dancing. 

It was near noon before many began to stir from sleep, by that time Thezmaya had already risen, dressed, and started working to gather wood for the night’s fire. Illidan had gone looking for her and by time he found her, he found her speaking with Jace as they gathered wood. He listened for a minute, they were discussing history and magic, not surprising for Jace. 

“Am I interrupting?” Illidan's voice broke in.

Jace stood up quickly, nearly dropping the armful of wood. 

“No we were just having an enlightening conversation. Jace is very well read on many subjects.” Thezmaya smiled walking over and handing the Master Demon Hunter her armful of wood.

Illidan's reaction could be read as appalled, then possibly pouting, but the Huntress Priestess ignored him and began to gather more wood. 

“My lady, if there are three days of celebration, what is tonight?” Jace asked curiously.

“The sacred hunt. We have an artifact that manifests an avatar of Malorne, and the one who can catch the great stag is said to be bestowed a great blessing. It is a great honor for one to catch the great stag.” She said picking up some smaller pieces of wood.

“Why Malorne?” Jace always the scholar had a never ending list of questions.

“Legend holds that the Great Huntress saw Malorne once during a new moon, and she began to pursue him, the third day she caught the stag, and well, they say the rest is history.” She smiled, chuckling.

“We aren’t expected to.....” Jace blushed.

Thezmaya laughed. “No, though the passion of the body is revered by the Huntress. In my order’s prime, it was not uncommon for those who wish to court to partake of their own version of the sacred hunt. It is said to be an act of great reverence to the goddess.” 

Illidan could sense she was looking at him and he straightened. 

“It seems much of your order is the opposite of the Temple of Elune.” Jace commented.

“There is no day without night, every light casts a shadow. The Full Moon is the moon of order, the new moon is the moon of chaos.” She smiled as she began to walk back towards the fire circle. 

As evening fell Keth’riel explained the hunt to the demon hunters, and of course this started many of them issuing challenges to one another. 

Thezmaya slipped up beside Illidan while the others got ready for the hunt. “What say we let the children chase the ghost and we have our own game.” 

“And what sort of game would that be?” His deep voice low. 

The other demon hunters had moved along with Keth’riel to the forest edge as he opened the ornate wooden box that sprout forth a white ghost of a stag, the magic radiating strong enough that it wasn’t hard for the demon hunters to clearly “see”. The stag took off into the woods, and with it, the demon hunters, aggressively pursuing it. 

Left alone, Thezmaya turned, a hand running over Illidan's chest. “Shall we see how good your hunting skills really are? I’m not talking about killing demons.” She moved to towards the woodline, away from where the others had gone. She pulled a hood up over her head, Illidan was confused when her aura vanished under the black cloak. She was gone and Illidan took off after her.

Yes, he was physically blind, and relied on his magical sight, but it also made his other senses more keen. He had stopped a number of yards into the woods and listened, he heard a giggle and took off towards it.

By time he reached where it had come from of course she was gone, he was quickly slipping into the predator mindset, senses heightening even more. He heard her humming and took off again, this time he was mere seconds from having her, but she was off running, and he was on her heels. 

They darted through the woods, her movements like that of a deer, graceful and swift, his like a sabercat, fast and powerful. She was weaving in and out of the large trees, trying to loose him, but he was on her trail, it just seemed even with his longer stride she was always just a few steps out of his reach. He could hear her laughing, not a mocking sound, more a sound of pure elation.

They came to one of the sheer sea cliffs that surrounded the island and she stopped, her back to the open ocean. Illidan stopped at the edge of the forest, her cloak caught in the ocean breeze making it so he could see her aura once again. 

“You’re cornered.” His voice a purr.

“Am I?” She responded in kind before stepping backwards and jumping from the cliff.

Illidan was caught off guard and ran to the cliff edge just as she shot upwards from the cliff, her black cloak that once hid her aura now radiating its own strong magic in the shape of massive black feathered wings. She turned and glided back towards the open water, causing Illidan to pursue her again. 

The air currents off the warm ocean water, breaking against the rough stone, made it easy to fly here. Illidan noticed she seemed perfectly at ease in the air, her movements gentle and smooth, it was obvious she was not a novice to this. The difference became that his wings, while carrying more mass, allowed him to move differently than her. She had him on straight flight, but when she chose to dive down to a series of tall rocks jutting out from the water, he had her on maneuverability, and he quickly caught up to her. His had his hand almost around her ankle when she jerked up suddenly, shooting upwards back to the cliff face. Illidan planted his hooves on the face of one of the rocks and pushed off of it, giving him more force upwards, passing her. 

She landed on the ground and went to take off into the woods, but was caught when Illidan landed between them, grabbing her arm, she tried to pull away but he used her movement against her. In a flurry of movement Illidan had her pinned to a tree, his wings shooting out to cause a wall, blocking a quick exit, his free arm coming around her waist to try and keep a hold on her.

Their breathing was slightly labored, their bodies pressed together. It seemed for a moment as if time had stopped, the sound of the crashing waves fading away, for a moment in time it was as if they were the only two beings in creation. Their faces were close, hers tipped up to look at him, and his tipped down, horns almost brushing the tree. In a moment, of what seemed like instinct, Illidan leaned down and captured her lips. Without thought she returned the gesture, their lips moving against one another. 

When Illidan’s mind caught up to the action, it felt wrong and right at the same time. This was the woman who had raised him, took care of him as a child, yet he wasn’t a child anymore, he was grown. They continued to kiss, her arms coming to wrap around his neck, his sharp teeth grazing faintly over her bottom lip. It seemed they would go one forever doing this, until the ground began to shake, a distant explosion catching them both off guard. 

On instinct Illidan grasped her tighter, head turning to try and find the source. Thezmaya tried to look around his massive form and eventually pushed him away. They came to the edge of the cliff and were both caught off guard. In the distance, in the direction of the Broken Isles, a massive green cloud lit up the otherwise moonless night. A look of confusion and dismay covered the woman’s face, Illidan’s on the other hand was anger and rage.

“The Legion.” His voice growled.


End file.
